Judaism may have a rich tradition of
kindness to animals, but Paul Shapiro sees a disconnect between biblical
and talmudic imperatives and the current status quo on factory farms,
where 95 percent of all animal products are produced, including kosher
meat.

"Animals on factory farms are treated as if they are not God's
creatures but units of production on an assembly line," said Shapiro,
vice president of farm animal protection at the Humane Society of the
United States. "Most people don't think about where their food comes
from, and if they do, they envision Old MacDonald's Farm, where cows are
grazing in a pasture and chickens run around.

"But the vast majority
of farm animals are subjected to extreme cruelty that few of us would want
to bear witness to."